As people started showing up to Badlands (and admiring all the changes to the former Devilles Pad), you could feel the excitement building as everyone anticipated the long awaited night ahead.
Leopard Lake is a new collaboration between two of Perth’s great musicians; Storm Wyness (formerly Sex Panther) and Sam Ford (Gunns and The Silents). Their style is mystical, light, fantastical pop and it’s mesmerising watching the incredibly beautiful Wyness on stage.
They opened up with Slow Motion (one of the few songs that have names as yet). Wyness has a stunning voice that oozes sensualism and charisma. They have a great style and a few of the songs were reminiscent of Sugar Army’s new album (not surprising as it was recorded and produced by Ford).
They finished their set with One. Leopard Lake is definitely a band to watch out for and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing more of them.
The next band up, Human Buoy (featuring an all star cast of members from Dream Rimmy, Gunns, Sonspilo Circus, Pond and The Sleepy Jackson) opened their set with Intro – Freaks, She Loves Me Not and Fields.
They have an indie/funk/pop/grunge sound and it’s the kind of music that makes you want to get up and dance. Lead singer Ben McDonald has a smooth voice and it’s great seeing him take centre stage.
They finished up with a cover of Can‘s song Vitamin C and Anvils (while slower than their other songs, it was also heavier). Human Buoy are a fun band and clearly enjoy what they do.
Gunns are another staple in the Perth scene. They opened with Live By The Sea, Who’s Gonna Be Your Dog and Pulling By The Hair. Gunns have gone through several line up changes over the years and have a new addition to the band – Ali Flintoff (Dream Rimmy). She adds a new dimension and is always a joy to watch on stage.
They finished their set with Peppermint Waves, She’s A Rainbow and The Fool. They are dreamy surf-pop and as always, they put on a great show.
While each band played fantastic sets and really set the tone for a perfect night, the excitement and impatience for the main act, Sugar Army, was growing exponentially as it has been a very long time coming. Many people could not wait to see how the new album translated live.
As soon as they came out on stage, people came in from outside and filled Badlands. “Hey, thanks for coming! This will be the longest marathon we have ever done. We’ll see how you are going at the end” lead singer Patrick McLaughlin told the audience.
They opened up with Battles, The Storm It Comes, Beast and Gold Touch. The songs were well received by the crowd and McLaughlin’s voice was just as sublime live as on the album – especially his falsetto.
Their new bassist and keyboardist, Benjamin Pooley (Harlequin League) fits in so well. He is extremely talented and is a welcome addition to the band.
After finishing off the new songs with Razor Heart, Hold On Tight and Itching Closer, McLaughlin said it was time to play some old stuff. As the crowd cheered, he told the audience “Cheers! You know that’s so heartening and disappointing at the same time”.
They started their older songs with Will You Follow, Building Castles and Maybe The Boy Who Cried Wolf Was Just Paranoid (a song they haven’t played for about six years – much to the delight of the audience). “We’ve been a band for 11 years. It’s a long time and you are still here. Thank you. And thank you to Sam Ford. Thanks very much buddy!”
They also played Tongues In Cheeks, No Need For Lovers and Summertime Heavy. McLaughlin pointed out that “this is the part where we do encores” and that they didn’t believe in walking off. “This next song is for Karen. She’s been asking for it for a long time.” before they played I Got Your Soul. They finished the night off with Greed Is Good as someone from the audience screamed out “fucking tune!”
While their new songs show sophistication, beauty and restraint, their old songs will always have such power and rawness to those who love them. They have a great mix of songs and with the old and new, they have just stepped their sets up to several notches beyond brilliant.
Not only did the crowd absolutely love every moment but so did Sugar Army. Considering it’s been so long between drinks, they had an awesome crowd there. Sugar Army is a force to be reckoned with and here’s looking forward to more and more shows. As a few people said – it was the best night out in a long, long time and everyone left with massive grins plastered over their faces.
KAREN LOWE
Photos by Karen Lowe
Originally published by Amnifly.com.au.
